London can’t build a robust UK economy alone: We must unlock the regions November 30, 2014 In my first official engagement as lord mayor outside the M25, visits to Liverpool and Manchester were ideal places to kick-start my programme for the year. While my time in each northern powerhouse city was limited, it helped to set my agenda for the forthcoming year. Politicians love the term “rebalancing the economy”. It’s kept [...]
Attwood happy for England to be called boring November 30, 2014 ENGLAND lock Dave Attwood has dismissed criticism of Saturday’s defeat of Australia, insisting they are happy to sacrifice entertaining, expansive rugby in favour of results. Two tries by No8 Ben Morgan and 16 points from the boot of fly-half George Ford helped the hosts to a pragmatic if unspectacular 26-17 victory over the Wallabies. They [...]
Cooper-Hohn divorce has led to Britain’s biggest pay out – here the five largest UK settlements in history November 28, 2014 Hedge fund titan Sir Chris Hohn will have to pay his ex-wife £337m, in what is thought to be the largest ever settlement in a UK divorce case. His estranged wife, Jamie Cooper-Hohn, had been seeking half of Hohn's estimated £700m fortune since the summer, however Hohn offered a quarter. Both parties are thought to [...]
Film review: Concerning Violence November 28, 2014 Cert 15 | ★★★★☆ The first revelation in Concerning Violence is that Lauryn Hill’s been doing more with her days than massacring her back catalogue and signing up to tax evasion schemes. She provides the soulful voiceover for this documentary about the end of colonial rule in Africa, drawing on text from pioneering anti-colonial [...]
Could Sherlock Holmes really afford a two bedroom flat in Marylebone? We’ve done some London property sleuthing November 27, 2014 We think a few of these movie characters have been lying about their incomes if they can afford these flats Have you ever watched a film or a TV series and thought “How on earth do they live there?” We have. That’s why we’ve compiled this guide to homes that appear on screen, to [...]
Lancaster challenges demoted Farrell to bounce back November 27, 2014 ENGLAND head coach Stuart Lancaster expects Owen Farrell to secure a future recall despite dropping the Saracens star in favour of Billy Twelvetrees for the final autumn fixture against Australia at Twickenham tomorrow. Farrell has been an ever-present for England since the summer tour of South Africa in 2012 but Twelvetrees has received the nod [...]
Where to celebrate Thanksgiving 2014 in London November 27, 2014 Today is Thanksgiving – and even if you're not surrounded by the warm glow of familial love, there are places to celebrate it in the capital. Whether you want to tuck into some turkey, pick at a pumpkin pie, or simply give thanks over a festive cocktail, there are dozens of London bars, pubs and [...]
A turkey’s not just for Thanksgiving – it could save your life November 27, 2014 While we gobble up turkeys in celebration of Thanksgiving, perhaps we should also offer a toast to the festive birds themselves. Not only do they bring our stomachs happiness year after year – they also contain a unique antibiotic that can help humans fend of disease. A “good” bacteria known as Strain 115 [...]
Phillip Hughes dies: Tributes pour in for Australian test batsman November 27, 2014 Tributes from around the world are pouring in for Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes who has died, two days after being struck on the head by a ball in a domestic cricket match. The 25-year-old test batsman never regained consciousness, the Australia team doctor Peter Brukner said in a statement on Thursday. Hughes was batting for [...]
We need to talk money: Why it’s time to break this damaging British taboo November 26, 2014 MANY of my recent articles – on elderly care provision, student finance, and housing in particular – have focused on these problems from the point of view of public policy. But this is only one half of the story. The other half is how ordinary people have to grapple with these serious financial issues every [...]